• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
emergency preparedness

Simply Preparing

Survival blog for disaster and emergency preparedness.

  • Home
  • About Simply Preparing
  • Beginning Prepping
  • Simple & Inexpensive Prepper Projects

Prepping on a Budget: Saving on Gas

December 22, 2012 By ParkerMama

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Today’s Prepping on a Budget Through Frugal Living post is kind of short and sweet.  But sometimes the best things come with the fewest words, right?

 

Prepping on a Budget Banner

 

If you have a Smith’s or Kroger’s nearby you’ll want to pay attention.  It wasn’t until lately that I discovered Smith’s gave DOUBLE gas points for gift cards.  Alas, I don’t always need gift cards.  In a wild  *duh* moment it hit me……if I purchase a SMITH’S gift card and use THAT to purchase my groceries, I get the benefit of the sales at our local Smith’s AND the double gas points.  Not only that, but several times a year you can rack up 4x the points when you purchase gift cards at Smith’s.

Every little bit helps, boys and girls.  Every teeny little bit.

Smith's Grocery Store Gift Card

At least this is what I told myself as I filled up MY car, my SON’s car and my HUSBAND’s car at $1.39 last week. 

 

Yup, we just lined our cars up one behind the other and filled them all up on the same bill.

Wondering what you could purchase at your local Smith’s/Kroger’s this week so you can use the plan outlined above?

Using the Kraft Promo and purchasing 6 of the 5 pack of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, you’ll receive a $6.00 coupon on your next shopping trip.  You can do up two 12 of the 5 packs per transaction, receiving two $6.00 coupons back, which makes each 5 pack of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese only $2.99 each.

To make your savings even better there are Kraft Macaroni and Cheese coupons out there for $1.00 off of 3 or more, making your final cost $2.57 per 5 packs of the Blue Boxes of goodness!

Check your local ads for other great stock up prices on Kraft Mayo and Salad Dressings!  (My ads runs through the 24th!)

Filed Under: Surviving In Style Tagged With: prepping on a budget

About ParkerMama

Tammy is a mom to 6 wonderful kids, including Parker, who came with an extra chromosome! She is passionate about special needs advocacy, living within her means, and preparing for an uncertain future. Tammy's main blog is Praying For Parker. Make sure to visit her there as well!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Prepared Mom says

    December 22, 2012 at 12:24 am

    Safeway does this in our area. I need to check on the gift card part but just simply the idea of filling up more than one car is genius. Whenever we have a significant discount I am always wondering which car makes the most sense to fill. Next time, thanks to you, the answer is ALL OF THEM

Trackbacks

  1. A New Year at Praying for Parker! | Life With Special Needs says:
    December 27, 2012 at 3:10 am

    […] It’s going to be a great year at Simply Preparing too.  Parker and will be writing on topics to help get your family prepared for emergencies of both […]

Primary Sidebar

Why Worry About Preparing?

Preparedness makes more sense now than ever.

As we move through 2026, it’s clear that the world is shifting in ways many of us can feel — even if we can’t always predict what’s next. In recent years we’ve seen global supply chain disruptions, international conflicts affecting energy and food markets, extreme weather events across multiple continents, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, economic uncertainty, inflation, and rising costs for everyday essentials.

From global pandemics to geopolitical tensions and natural disasters happening around the world, the message is the same: stability isn’t guaranteed.

Whether or not you believe we’re headed toward a major global reset, there are plenty of everyday realities that make preparedness practical — not extreme. Job loss. Health emergencies. Severe storms. Power outages. Supply shortages. Economic downturns.

Preparedness isn’t about panic.

It’s about positioning your family to respond calmly when life throws the unexpected your way.

We’ve found that the more intentional emergency planning my family does, the less I worry about the big “what ifs.” When you have food storage in place, backup plans for power and water, and practical skills to lean on, uncertainty feels manageable.

That peace of mind is powerful.

Here at Simply Preparing, we share the survival tips, preparedness strategies, and practical systems we’ve learned along the way — from pantry building and food storage to emergency planning and self-reliance skills. Our goal is not to create fear, but to create confidence.

And we hope you’ll join the conversation.

Preparedness is not a solo journey. We all bring different experiences, lessons, and perspectives to the table. Share what you’ve learned. Ask questions. Leave comments. We grow stronger and smarter together.

Now, let’s get started prepping.

Pick a post and begin reading. At the end of every article, the blog will randomly suggest three additional preparedness posts to explore. Set aside just 10 minutes a day to build your knowledge base. Small, consistent steps add up faster than you think.

Because when it comes to preparedness, we’re never truly “done” learning — and we’re never wrong for being ready.

Let’s prepare wisely.

Affiliate Disclosure

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase—at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we personally trust and believe are worth having as part of a simple, practical preparedness plan.

Privacy Policy and Cookies

This site uses cookies. Please read our Privacy Policy so you fully understand how we use them.

Copyright © 2025 Indigo Ink, LLC: Simply Preparing Disaster and Emergency Preparedness · WordPress · Log in